Steering device for tractors.



w.- D. MANN & wrB. RELTH, STEERING DEVICE FOR TRACTORS.

APPLICATION FlLED'0CT.30,1915. I Patented Apr. 11, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

UVVENTUFA? QK/ flifiwi/ A7I'TU NEYE.

THE coLuMmA PLANOGRAPH 60.. WASHINGTON. D. x

w. 0. MANN & w. B. RELTH.

' STEERING DEVICE FOR TRACTORS. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 30. 1915.

l 1 78,740. Patented Apr. 11, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

ATTU NEYE device; Fig. 2 is a front view thereof; Fig. i 3 is ahorizontal sectional view thereof taken To all whom it may concernWALTER D. ANN AND WILLIAM B. RELTH, E MILWAUKEE, wIscoNsIN; SAID RELTHASSIGNOR T0 SAID MANN. w 7

, s'rEEEINe nEvicE Eon. 'rzaac'rons.

' Be it known that we, WALTER D. MANN and WILLIAM B. RELTH, citizens ofthe United States, and residents of Milwaukee, in the county ofMilwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Steermg Devlces for Tractors, of which the following isa description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, whichare a part of this specification. t i This invention relates toimprovements in steering devices for tractors more particularly adaptedfor farming purposes.

It is one of the objects of thepresent invention to provide a steeringdevice which may be attached to thesteering wheel of a tractor used forpulling plows and which will automatically steer the tractoriin a lineparallel to the furrow in which a part of the device travels. i

A further object of the invention is to provide a steering device fortractors which will permit the tractor to be steered manually whendesired. I

A further object of the invention is to provide a steering device whichis yieldingly connected to the tractor to permit travelingv over unevenground and is also connected in a manner to resist abnormal shocks andstrains. 5 o

A further object of the invention is to provide a steering device fortractors which is of very simple construction and is well adapted forthe purpose desired;

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of theimproved steering device for tractors and its parts and combinations asset forth in the claims and all equivalents thereof. Y.

In the accompanying drawings in which the same reference charactersindicate the same parts in all of'the-views: Figure 1 is a side view ofthe forward end portion of a tractor provided with the improvedsteeringon line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a detail view of a modified formof structurecontrolling Specification of Letters Patent.

' the manually operated steering means 5 is a vertical sectional detailview taken on line 5'5 of Fig. 4 of the part shown in Fig. A

4; F ig.- 6 is a top view of the steering device form of tractor; Fig. 7is a front view thereof; and Fig. 8 1s a sideview of anothermodlfiedform of tractor.

- Referring. to the drawings the numeral Patented'Apr. 11,191AppH-cation filed 0ctober 30,1915. Serial No. 58,744. o N

indicates the front end portion of a tractor used for hauling plows. Thetractor in part comprises the frame 11, the traction, wheels 12, theforked steering head 13andthe'steering wheel 14 mounted between the legs15'of said. steerlng head. The tractor is prefer-,

ably of the three wheel type and the steering head 13 is 'revolublymounted'in theforw wardly and upwardlyprojecting bracket 16 and iscontrolled manually f by a gearing connection 17 and a rod'18 whichextends to the rear portionof the frame. One of the forks of thesteering head is provided with a forward projection: 19-having a roundedend portion 20 on its outer end which is en-. gaged by. the innersocketed end 21 of a connecting rod 22 to forma balland'socket'connection'therebetween. r v p A steering beam 23, pivoted at its inner endto an cared bracket-24 which is bolted tothe side ofthe tractor frame,extends outportion 25 and at its upper end carries a forwardlyprojecting steering arm 27, the

outer rounded end 28 ofwhichlis engaged by' the outer socketed' end'29ofthe connect- A wheel frame member 261 extendsthrough and has a bearingin the tubular so. i

mg steering rod '22 so. that any turning movement of the wheel framemember will be transmitted tothesteering fork. of the tractor and causeapproximately a corre:

sponding movement of the steering-fork. i

A furrow wheel 30.. positioned on the outer side of the wheel framemember 26 is journaled on a short axle 31 which projects outwardly anddownwardly from the wheel,

frame niember126 The peripheral edge portion 32 of the wheel is taperedoutwardly to cause the inner edge portion 33 thereof to more closelyfollow the inner line of land side edge 34 of the furrow 35.

In the form o-f tractor shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 the steering wheel 14:is positioned in advance of the central portion of the frame of thetractor whereas in Figs. 6 and 7 the steering wheel is positioned inadvance of one side of said frame. The steering devices of both of theseforms are the same with the exception that in the last men tionedtractor frame the connecting rod 22 is of less length than in the otherframe.

In the modifiedform shown in Figs. l

and 5 a worm and worm wheel gearing 36 is substituted for the bevelgears for man ually controlling the steering of the tractor. WVhen thetractor is automatically steered the worm 37 is swung out of mesh withthe worm wheel 38 by means of the eccentric bearing 39 through which thesteering rod 18 extends and has its bearing. The eccentric bearing. isturned by means of a handle 40.

In the modified form shown in Fig. 8 the forward projection 19' extendsy from the upper portion of the steering fork of tractor and connectingrod 22 is connected thereto in the same manner before described.

A rope or other means 41 is connected to the steering beam and extendsto the frame of the tractor and may be operated in any manner desired tolift the furrow wheel out of the furrow when it is desired to change tothe next furrow or to travel on the road.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the steering devicefor tractors will automatically control the steering of the tractorsteering wheel and guide the tractor in a line parallel to the furrow inwhich the furrowwheel travels. The tractor may also be steered in theordinary man ner if desired. In running upon the road the steeringdevice may be swung upwardly to clear the road. 7

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. The combination with a tractor having a steering head, a steeringdevice therefor comprising a beam member pivotally connected at itsinner end to the tractor frame and projecting forwardly and outwardlytherefrom and at its outer end provided with a vertically extendingbearing opening, a furrow wheel frame journaled in the bearing openingand having an arm proj ecting outwardly therefrom, a furrow wheeljournaled on the wheel frame, and a means directly pivotally connectedto the wheel frame arm and also to the steering head of the tractorframe.

2. The combination with a tractor having an arm projecting from thesteering head right angles to the direction of travel of the tractor andhaving a universal connection with the outer end of the arm of the wheelframe and the outer end of the arm of the steering head of the tractor.

3. The combination with a tractor having a front steering fork and asteering wheel journaled therein, a steering devicetherefor comprising abeam member pivotally connected at its inner end to the tractor frameand projecting forwardly and outwardly therefrom at an oblique angle andat its outer end provided with a vertically extends ing bearing opening,a furrow wheel frame journaled in the bearing opening and having an axleprojecting outwardly therefrom, a furrow wheel journaled on the axle, anarm mounted on the upper end of the wheel frame and projectingtherefrom, and a connecting rod extending approximately at right anglesto the direction of travel of the tractor and having a universalconnection at one end with the outer end of the arm of the wheel frameand atv its other end having a universal connection with the steeringfork of the tractor.

4. The combination with a three wheel tractor having a front steeringfork inwhich one of the wheels is journaled, a steering device therefor,comprislng an arm projecting forwardly from the steermg fork, a beam theaxle, an arm projecting forwardly from the wheel frame, and a connectingrod extending approximately at right angles to the direction of travelof the tractor and having a universal connection with both the arm ofthewheel frame and the arm of the steering fork. Y

5. The combinationwith a three wheel tractor having a front steeringfork in which one of the wheels is journaled, a manually operable meansfor steering the tractor comprising a steering rod mounted on'the frameof the tractor and having a geared connection with the steering forkyandan automatic means for steering the tractor, commember projectingoutwardly from the' prisingv a beam member projecting outwardly from thetractor frame, a wheel frame revolubly monnted on the outer end.

of the beam member, a furrow wheel jour nailed on the Wheel frame, anarm projecting from the Wheel frame, an arm projecting fromthe tractorsteering fork, and a connecting rod having universal connections withboth the Wheel frame arm and the I steering fork arm. i -,10 Intestimony whereof,twe aifix ourv signatures. n v,

WALTER D. MANN- I WILLIAM 'BJ RELTI -I; t

Gopies of this patent may be obtained m flye cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Iatents, I

1 j Washington, n. c." a

